Congress Cuts Science Infrastructure - to buy more bullets?

One has to wonder what exactly we are fighting to save overseas when we can not save the science behind our food source; perhaps we think the Chinese will take up the research and give us information from time to time for free? Or perhaps we think corporate America will deign to give the information they find to us mere mortals at no cost - Lincoln created USDA to distribute to all Americans the science and know-how of Agriculture so that all might share equally in the knowledge and build together a better tomorrow.  What exactly are we doing?


 
"The House continued to make progress on its appropriations bills last week, passing the Military Construction and Veterans Administration bill (H.R.2055) on Tuesday and the Agriculture bill (H.R.2112) on Thursday. The Agriculture bill includes deep cuts to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) R&D, including a 12.9% ($146 million) cut from FY 2011 funding levels to the intramural Agricultural Research Service; a 16.7% ($203 million) cut to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA); and within NIFA, a 13.9% ($37 million) cut to the competitive, extramural Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. The bill also includes an amendment from Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) which prohibits funding for implementing the June 3rd USDA departmental regulation dealing with climate change adaptation." - AAAS Policy Alert -- June 22, 2011